“Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually. They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps. I say to the Lord, You are my God; give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord! O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle. Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.” (v1-3,6-8,12-13)
I think this Psalm ties in well with our learning in Numbers 25 yesterday. David was clearly experiencing persecution, and he does the correct thing – brings it to God in prayer (and song/worship).
How often are we oppressed or persecuted? How do we define those words? In Canada, we might not think we’re persecuted because we don’t receive death threats or get arrested for holding church services in our houses. However, we are persecuted in different ways – for example our government passes laws against wearing faith-based symbols, or we have to be pro-choice in order to maintain certain governmental statuses. Violently or passively, we are being forced to conform to this world, which is a form of persecution against our beliefs and faith.
I’m not going to say our experience of persecution is on par with other countries, however, it’s seemingly more insidious and deceptive because it’s so slow and subtle. We’re giving the enemy victories one small battle at a time, giving him an inch here and there until he has taken a mile.
Now, I’m not suggesting we revolt against the government – what I am suggesting is we follow David’s model and pray about everything. Let’s bring every little injustice to God in prayer, so God can “maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy” (v12). Many of these things are outside of our control anyway, so giving it to God is our best (and usually only) option. I can’t can’t change the hearts of an entire country, but God can, and He may work through me to accomplish that. My role is to submit to His will and His timing, while keeping the two greatest commandments.
Father God, Almighty Lord, Unmatched King, we praise Your holy name. We ask that You hear our plea and deliver us from evil, from those who would spiritually oppress and mislead us. Father please guard our hearts against conforming to the ways of this world, and keep us from sinning against You. Even though the world wants to compromise, would You please be our foundation and strength so we can maintain Your commandments. Father please help us to remain steadfast in Your Spirit, and following in Jesus’ footsteps. In the powerful and holy name of Jesus we ask this, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training